Keyboard Practice for Gaming

Type wasd wasd wasd wasd with your left hand, with the space bar under your thumb.

Type each word and press space after it. No timer. The run ends with the text. wasd wasd wasd wasd wdw waw sds sas dresser 1w 2w 3w 4w radar grade 1234 1234 4321 4321 zxcv zxcv vcxz vcxz wasd qe wasd er az sx dc fv qe qe er er adad wsws adad wsws sx2 dc3 fv4 az1 df dg fd gd server cd xs za vf wafer verse drawer dwas dsaw awds asdw ws ws ad ad fg gf fv vf dfg dcv sxz dfg arcade w1q w2e d3r d4f freezer wedge aq de dr aq

More options

Test length

Practise

–This run

–Your best

–Last run

No timer: the run ends with the text, or when you press Finish. Words per minute is correct characters divided by five; accuracy is correct keystrokes out of all keystrokes.

No runs yet. Your last ten will show up here.

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Next step Same hand, whole words: left hand practice How many keys does your keyboard take at once?

All 60 lines

Movement keys: W, A, S and D 8

adad wsws adad wsws Side to side, then up and down, in fours.
dwas dsaw awds asdw All four keys in four different orders.
wa wd sa sd W or S, then A or D.
wasd wasd wasd wasd The four movement keys. Games most often use W and S to move forward and back, and A and D to step left and right.
wdw waw sds sas Out to a side key and back.
ws ws ad ad Up and down twice, then side to side twice.
ww ss aa dd Each key twice. W sits above S, with A and D on either side of S.
wwa wwd ssa ssd A double tap, then a side key.

Reaches up: Q, E and R 8

aq de dr aq Up from the home row: Q from A, then E and R from D.
qe qe er er E is often the key that uses an item, and R sits beside it.
qq ee rr ee Each reach key twice.
qwer qwer rewq rewq The first four keys of the top letter row, then backward.
sqs ses srs ses The same three reaches, starting from S.
wasd qe wasd er The movement keys, then two of the keys above them.
wq we wr we Q is the key left of W. E and R are the two keys to its right.
wqw wew wrw wew Out from W and back each time.

Show all 60 lines (44 more)

Reaches across and down: F, G, Z, X, C and V 8

az sx dc fv Z, X, C and V are the row below A, S, D and F.
cd xs za vf From the bottom row up to the home row.
df dg fd gd F and G carry on the home row to the right of D.
dfg dcv sxz dfg Three-key runs that leave the movement keys.
fg gf fv vf F with its neighbors G and V.
sxs dcd dvd aza Down to the bottom row and back.
wf sg df ag From each movement key across to F or G.
zxcv zxcv vcxz vcxz The first four keys of the bottom letter row, then backward.

Number keys 1 to 5 8

1w 2w 3w 4w A number first, then back to W.
11 22 33 44 Each number twice.
12 23 34 45 Neighboring numbers in pairs.
135 24 135 24 Odd numbers, then even.
1234 1234 4321 4321 Along the number row and back.
a1 w2 w3 d4 A movement key, then a number.
w1 w2 w3 w4 The keys 1 to 5 are the number row above Q, W, E, R and T.
w5 d5 w4 d4 Of the five, 4 and 5 sit furthest to the right.

Mixed runs: every key of the page 8

aq1 sw2 de3 fr4 Four slanted columns, each from the home row up to the number row.
qe12 rf34 zx51 cv23 Two reach keys, then two numbers.
sx2 dc3 fv4 az1 A dip to the bottom row, then a number.
w1q w2e d3r d4f A number in the middle of each group.
wasd 1234 qe rf Movement keys, numbers, then four reach keys.
wd5 sa4 gf3 er2 Counting down from 5.
wq1 we2 wr3 df4 A reach and a number after each movement key.
zxcv wasd qwer 1234 Bottom row, movement keys, top row, number row.

Real words on these keys 20

access Dips to the bottom row for C.
arcade Dips to the bottom row for C.
crease Dips to the bottom row for C.
degrees
drawer Only the movement keys, E and R.
dresser Only the movement keys, E and R.
erase Only the movement keys, E and R.
evade Dips to the bottom row for V.
freezer Dips to the bottom row for Z.
gears
grade
racer Dips to the bottom row for C.
radar Only the movement keys, E and R.
reader Only the movement keys, E and R.
seaward Only the movement keys, E and R.
server Dips to the bottom row for V.
swerve Dips to the bottom row for V.
verse Dips to the bottom row for V.
wafer
wedge

How this list was compiled: The 40 key lines and their notes were written for this page, in five sets of eight; none is taken from a game or a trainer. That W, A, S and D are the keys most commonly used to move in computer games, that W and S move forward and back while A and D step left and right, that the left thumb takes the space bar, and that E and R are used because they sit next to those keys: the Wikipedia article Arrow keys, section WASD keys, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_keys (read 2026-10-02). That article does not say which finger rests on which key, so no line names a finger. Where each key sits (the number row 1 2 3 4 5, then Q W E R T, A S D F G and Z X C V): the United States layout in the Wikipedia article QWERTY, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QWERTY (read 2026-10-02); each note about a key's place was checked against that key order. The 20 words are ordinary English words spelled only with letters among W A S D Q E R F G Z X C V (they use 11 of the 13; no word has Q or X), chosen for this page and checked on 2026-10-02 against the ENABLE word list, https://norvig.com/ngrams/enable1.txt; none is a word of another list on this site. No game, maker or player is named. Licence: The lines, the notes and the choice of words are original to this site. The ENABLE word list is in the public domain (release statement quoted at http://wordlist.aspell.net/scowl_v1-readme/) and was used only to check spelling.

How it works

Keyboard practice for gaming starts on the four movement keys. This WASD keyboard practice then adds Q, E and R, the keys across and below, and the numbers 1 to 5, in 40 key lines and 20 real words.

Read the full guide

Start on the movement keys

1. Rest your left hand on W, A, S and D and click the box. 2. Type each group of keys, then the space bar with your thumb. No clock runs. 3. Press Finish to stop and see words per minute and accuracy. Under More options, 30 s or 60 s adds a clock.

Six sets of keys

A run opens on the movement line and then mixes everything. Under More options, the Practise menu keeps a run to one set: the movement keys, the reaches up to Q, E and R, the reaches to F, G, Z, X, C and V, the numbers 1 to 5, mixed runs, or real words such as arcade and swerve.

Shift, Ctrl and Tab type no character, so this page drills letters, numbers and the space bar only.
The real words use 11 letters: W A S D E R F G Z C V.

Questions and answers

What does WASD mean on a keyboard?

W, A, S and D are four letter keys laid out like the arrow keys: W above S, with A and D on either side. Computer games most often use them to move: W and S forward and back, A and D left and right.

Why do games use WASD and not the arrow keys?

The arrow keys are awkward beside a right-handed mouse. W, A, S and D put movement under the left hand, with the space bar under its thumb and keys such as E and R right next to them.

Is this PC gaming keyboard practice a game?

No. It is a typing drill: the keys appear as text and you type them in a box. It trains finding the keys around W, A, S and D without looking down, and it names no game.

How do I practice using a keyboard for games?

Type the movement lines until they need no look down. Take one set at a time from the Practise menu, under More options: the keys above, the keys across and below, then the numbers. Add a 30 s clock when a set feels easy.